Espresso is headed to the International Space Station. / Zakharova Natalia, Getty Images/iStockphoto

by Lindsay Deutsch, USA TODAY

by Lindsay Deutsch, USA TODAY

Italian air force Capt. Samantha Cristoforetti will be the first Italian woman to head into space - and also the first astronaut to drink an Italian espresso while in orbit this November.

Cristoforetti - and others on the International Space Station - will be joined by ISSpresso, the first zero-gravity espresso machine.

It's "the first capsule-based espresso system able to work in the extreme conditions of space," according to a statement from Lavazza, an Italian coffee brand.

Lavazza has worked in conjunction with space food engineers at Argotec and the Italian Space Agency to make literal out-of-this-world espresso a reality for astronauts who, until this innovation, only had the option of instant coffee.

On June 15, Cristoforetti tweeted, "How cool is that? During #Futura42 I'll get to operate the first space espresso machine!"

The espresso machine, designed to create a "perfect espresso in a weightless environment," will be rolled out for the Futura Mission, the second long-term mission of the Italian Space Agency aboard the International Space Station.

So how does it work?

Multiple modifications have been made to the classic Italian espresso machine for it to work in the zero-gravity environment, Wired reports. To accommodate for pressure, the steam pipe, rather than being made of plastic as is typical, is a steel tube that's capable of handling 400 barometers of presser.

Astronauts may be taking a relaxing coffee break in their "corner cafe," but they won't be sipping it. Espresso will flow into a bag (the same way water is stored on the ISS) and must be consumed with a straw.